2020 SETTE COLLI TROPHY
- Tuesday, August 11th – Thursday, August 13th
- Stadio Olimpico Curva Nord, Rome, Italy
- LCM (50m)
- Start Lists/Live Results
- Live Stream (Italy Only)
- Recap Day 1
Italian superstar Federica Pellegrini returns to compete after eight months. Last time she went up on a starting block was at the Italian Championships in Riccione last December.
Yesterday evening she competed in the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome. For the first time in history this event is also the National Championship.
There she swam to a bronze medal in the women’s 50 free in 25.18. That’s only two tenths from her best time of 24.92 that she swam at this meet last year. The 50 free has not been a part of her international lineup in past years since very early in her career, though she did swim the race at the 2019 World Championships – finishing 17th in 25.08 in prelims.
After the race Pellegrini speaks about she lingered her feelings in this particular return to racing after the lockdown.
TRASLATED FROM ITALIAN
“It’s nice to go back to racing and for me it’s like the first time. I hadn’t competed for seven months and it was a strange feeling. The empty swimming stadium gives a strange feeling. We’re not used to stadiums like this with such huge stands. Having them full every year gave us a rush and adrenaline rush we didn’t have anywhere else.”
A new year of technical preparation that awaits her to face what will be her last Olympics. Declares Federica:
At 32 years old I prepare for the new year knowing that I have to work hard and that I have to surpass myself every day, hoping that my body will hold out. This break has fallen at a good time from a technical point of view because I needed it to fix some things; less so from an age point of view.
(From Retta Race report):
WOMEN’S 50 FREE- FINAL
Sette Colli Record – Pernille Blume (DEN), 23.92 2018
Italian Record – Silvia Di Pietro, 24.84 2014
- GOLD – Silvia Di Pietro (ITA), 24.91
- SILVER – Melanie Henique (FRA) 25.11
- BRONZE – Federica Pellegrini (ITA) 25.18
The roles were reversed from the women’s 50m fly, as this time it was Silvia Di Pietro who got the better of visiting French swimmer Melanie Henique.
Di Pietro clocked the only sub-25 second outing of the field to produce 24.91 for 50m free gold, while Henique fell just short in 25.11. Versatile icon Federica Pellegrini touched in 25.18, good enough for bronze.
Di Pietro owns the Italian national record in this 50m free event with the 24.84 she put up 6 years ago. Tonight’s effort was only .07 away from that outing.